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  • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • People of MDF
    • Board of Directors
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    • MDF Magazine
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  • How We Conserve
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    • Public Policy
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  • How We Educate
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    • Talking Mule Deer Podcast
    • Mule Deer Foundation Videos & Films
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  • How You Can Help
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Conservation takes many forms and MDF Magazine is critical to sharing the work that we do.

 

 

MDF Magazine is a quarterly publication, and exclusive to Mule Deer Foundation members. Packed full of high quality stories and striking photography of the work that we are doing on the ground, in a perfect bound, glossy top-scale paper perfect for reading in the wall tent, or the waiting room. We are excited to celebrate the content between the covers, with an aesthetically pleasing and easily readable layout.

 

MDF Magazine continues to deliver stories from the hunt, as well as in the field highlighting conservation challenges and projects. Cuisine, state-by-state updates on the work happening across the range, mule deer and black-tailed deer biology and more!


 

 

The magazine features some of the best hunting stories, tips, and tactics from our friends Jana Waller of Skullbound Chronicles, Mark Kayser, Jason Matzinger, Identical Draw and more!

Celebration of the success of our members, is a fan favorites section, and is featured in each and every issue! This is our favorite section to put together, as we get to share in your stories.


With an increased page count and reduction in ads, MDF Members can enjoy a magazine that delivers the MDF mission, facilitates our mission, and showcases those supporters committed to what we do.

 

Early season mule deer hunting is a long game. You might spend days glassing and never make a stalk — or you might get it done on the first morning. Either way, keep your head in the game and your ego in check. Velvet season rewards the patient and punishes the reckless.
Early Season Mule Deer Tactics: Spot-and-Stalk Success in Velvet

Early season mule deer hunting is a long game. You might spend days glassing and never make a stalk — or you might get it done on the first morning. Either way, keep your head in the game and your ego in check. Velvet season rewards the patient and punishes the reckless.

The Mule Deer Foundation is proud to share an incredible opportunity for those who dream of hunting the legendary giants of Sonora, Mexico. Known for producing some of the biggest mule deer bucks in North America, Sonora offers the perfect combination of rugged desert landscapes, prime winter rut timing, and expert local guides who know exactly where to find world-class animals.
Win Sonora, Mexico Mule Deer Hunt

The Mule Deer Foundation is proud to share an incredible opportunity for those who dream of hunting the legendary giants of Sonora, Mexico. Known for producing some of the biggest mule deer bucks in North America, Sonora offers the perfect combination of rugged desert landscapes, prime winter rut timing, and expert local guides who know exactly where to find world-class animals.

Ask a dozen mule deer hunters how they get it done, and you’ll hear two main camps: spot-and-stalk and ambush hunting. Both get the job done — but they take different mindsets, skills, and situations to pull off. Let’s break ‘em down.
Spot-and-Stalk vs. Ambush: Choosing Your Mule Deer Hunting Style

Ask a dozen mule deer hunters how they get it done, and you’ll hear two main camps: spot-and-stalk and ambush hunting. Both get the job done — but they take different mindsets, skills, and situations to pull off. Let’s break ‘em down.

That’s where the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) comes in. You might know the name. You might have gone to a banquet, read the magazine, or thrown a few bucks in the raffle. But what you might not know is just how much MDF does every single day to protect the deer, the ground they walk on, and the hunting lifestyle we live for.
Behind the Scenes: How the Mule Deer Foundation Works for Hunters

That’s where the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) comes in. You might know the name. You might have gone to a banquet, read the magazine, or thrown a few bucks in the raffle. But what you might not know is just how much MDF does every single day to protect the deer, the ground they walk on, and the hunting lifestyle we live for.

Spend enough time around mule deer, and you realize they’re not just animals fading into the brush — they’re talking. Not with words, of course, but with posture, movement, and subtle signs that can tell you exactly what they’re thinking — if you know how to read them.

Whether you’re lining up a stalk on a high-country buck or just watching a herd from across a canyon, understanding mule deer body language can give you a major edge. It’s the difference between blowing your chance or slipping in close for a clean shot. It’s the difference between a deer that disappears and one that hangs around just a little too long.
Decoding Mule Deer Body Language: What Bucks Are Telling You

Spend enough time around mule deer, and you realize they’re not just animals fading into the brush — they’re talking. Not with words, of course, but with posture, movement, and subtle signs that can tell you exactly what they’re thinking — if you know how to read them.

Whether you’re lining up a stalk on a high-country buck or just watching a herd from across a canyon, understanding mule deer body language can give you a major edge. It’s the difference between blowing your chance or slipping in close for a clean shot. It’s the difference between a deer that disappears and one that hangs around just a little too long.

Ask any seasoned hunter what makes for a great mule deer season, and you’ll likely hear the same answers: good weather, time to scout, a solid tag — and deer. Lots of deer.

What some hunters overlook, though, is that seeing more mule deer doesn’t just come down to luck or draw odds. It comes down to habitat — and behind that habitat, there’s often a crew of conservationists, biologists, and volunteers working to make the ground better for deer and the people who hunt them. That’s where the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) steps in.
Habitat Work Means More Deer in Your Spotting Scope

Ask any seasoned hunter what makes for a great mule deer season, and you’ll likely hear the same answers: good weather, time to scout, a solid tag — and deer. Lots of deer.

What some hunters overlook, though, is that seeing more mule deer doesn’t just come down to luck or draw odds. It comes down to habitat — and behind that habitat, there’s often a crew of conservationists, biologists, and volunteers working to make the ground better for deer and the people who hunt them. That’s where the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) steps in.

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These are just a few stories from previous issues, but you must be a member to receive the full contents of this powerful publication!

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The mission of the Mule Deer Foundation is to ensure the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat. #ConnectedByConservation

We sat down with @kryptek CEO and co-founder, @but We sat down with @kryptek CEO and co-founder, @butchwhiting at this years @huntexpo to discuss hunting, conservation, Kryptek and of course, mule deer. This is the first clip of many, so stay tuned and catch the full episode on You Tube! Link in bio. 

#conservation #muledeer #wildlife #muledeerfoundation #outdoors
If you’ve never chased a velvet mule deer buck i If you’ve never chased a velvet mule deer buck in early season, you’re missing out on one of the best opportunities the West has to offer. August and early September hunts mean high-country basins, long glassing sessions, and the chance to slip in on a bachelor group while their guard’s still down. But velvet bucks aren’t a gimme, in fact, they’ll humble you quick if you’re not ready.

Here are my tried-and-true tips for spot-and-stalk success when the velvet’s still soft and the sun’s still high.

Learn more at the link in our bio!
Colorado offers some of the best mule deer habitat Colorado offers some of the best mule deer habitat in the country, from high Rocky Mountain forests to the expansive eastern plains. This diversity has allowed the state’s landscape to naturally support large mule deer herds. However, diverse landscapes also have variable weather conditions which can impact herd health. 

In Colorado, one MDF project is focused on improving wildlife habitat in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service because of another curveball Mother Nature threw in for good measure. In the past two decades Colorado also experienced massive beetle outbreaks in its forests. While mountain pine and spruce beetles play a natural role in forest health, the recent outbreaks were a result of a perfect storm of factors: warmer winters, prolonged drought, and dense forest conditions. These same factors have also reduced forage availability for mule deer. Forests in the state need some help.

MDF works with the Forest Service to restore forest health through active forest management strategies. This partnership is currently working in beetle-kill areas. Thinning overcrowded or unhealthy trees, along with removing beetle-killed timber, creates natural wildfire breaks, promotes moderate fires that are good for the forest, and allows newly open areas to grow edible vegetation for mule deer. These efforts will restore forage, improve habitat connectivity, and help maintain the ecological balance that mule deer rely on at a larger scale.

Over the past ten years, MDF has developed a trusted, on-the-ground partnership with the Bureau of Land Management State, District and Field offices across Northwest Colorado through a Statewide Stewardship Agreement. BLM and MDF staff work collaboratively to identify priority areas and implement habitat projects that improve sagebrush health, reduce wildfire risk, and enhance long-term ecosystem resilience. By bringing additional capacity, funding, and volunteer support, MDF helps the BLM carry out high-priority habitat improvements that might not otherwise get done.

Read more about our work in Colorado and across the Western United States at muledeer.org.

Photo by Jason Loftus
That’s a wrap, folks! Congratulations to all the That’s a wrap, folks! Congratulations to all the winners and big thank you to everyone who participated. These funds will go back into turning dirt, fencing, forest restoration, sage brush planting projects and more; so we’re all winners 🏆. Shoutout to all the sponsors as well, we couldn’t do it without you. 
We appreciate you and look forward to next year!

#muledeer #muledeercountry #conservation
@hoytbowhunting has a bow for everybody! Listen i @hoytbowhunting has a bow for everybody!

Listen in on MDF’s very own @trevorhubbs conversation with Hoyt’s Director of Marketing, Jeremy Eldridge as they discuss archery, hunting and conservation at MDF’s 2025 Western Hunting and Conservation Expo. Watch the full podcast episode at the link in our bio!
We’ve launched our Western Big Game Connectivity We’ve launched our Western Big Game Connectivity and Habitat Fragmentation Program in North Dakota!

In the working landscapes of the West, fences play an important role in managing livestock, marking property lines, and protecting natural resources. However, they can also create serious challenges for wildlife—blocking movement, fragmenting habitat, causing stress and injury, and even mortality. 

With support from the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund, North Dakota Petroleum Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others, the Mule Deer Foundation is working with landowners across western North Dakota to create safer passage for mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and bighorn sheep. In 2025, MDF is on track to improve more than 25 miles of degraded and hazardous fencing in the state, replacing it with wildlife-friendly designs and strategic crossings.
Most hunters think about mule deer when a tag hits Most hunters think about mule deer when a tag hits their inbox or when they’re packing one out on their back after a successful hunt. But if we want those moments to last for our kids, our grandkids, and the future of hunting, we have to look at what’s happening behind the scenes.

At the Mule Deer Foundation we are committed to restoring critical habitat, protecting migration corridors, expanding hunting access, and mentoring the next generation. MDF is working every day to keep mule deer on the mountain and tags in your pocket.

Read the full story on why this work matters and how MDF works for hunters at the link in our bio.
In our recent blog post @the.intrepid.eater shares In our recent blog post @the.intrepid.eater shares a delicious wild turkey burger recipe that uses mayonnaise both in the ground meat to moisten the meat and in the sauce for the aioli! Check it out at the link in our bio or make sure to screen shot the recipe card to try it out at home!
What does a Mule Deer’s body language tell you a What does a Mule Deer’s body language tell you about how they are feeling? In our recent blog post we explore just that! Learn more at the link in our bio.
Mule Deer Foundation congratulates Brian Nesvik on Mule Deer Foundation congratulates Brian Nesvik on his confirmation as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With decades of wildlife management experience, Nesvik is well-positioned to lead FWS and champion conservation priorities that matter to sportsmen and women. We look forward to working with him to advance habitat conservation and wildlife stewardship across the country.
Pop over to MDFs Facebook on 8/8 at 6:30pm MT for Pop over to MDFs Facebook on 8/8 at 6:30pm MT for our live drawing for all 14 amazing prizes as part of our Ultimate Giveaway 2025! See you there and may the odds be in your favor!
Thanks again to all our corporate partners and collaborators, we couldn’t do it without you!
At the Mule Deer Foundation, we’re proud to work At the Mule Deer Foundation, we’re proud to work with corporate partners who not only believe in our mission but build gear tough enough to support it in the wild. One of those partners is @badlandsgear—a brand known for rugged reliability, innovative design, and a relentless focus on performance in the backcountry.

This year, Badlands has leveled up with two standout pieces that have earned our seal of approval in the field: the updated MRK 4 pack and the newly redesigned Bino XR. Check out our recent blog post where we dive into detail about these two standout pieces— link in bio!
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Mule Deer Foundation Mission

The mission of the Mule Deer Foundation is to ensure the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat.

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Mule Deer Foundation
  • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • People of MDF
    • Board of Directors
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    • Annual Reporting
    • MDF Careers
    • Contact Us
  • How We Conserve
    • Conservation Programs
    • Habitat Work
    • Project Highlights
    • Stewardship
    • Migration Initiative
    • Public Policy
    • Partner Agencies & NGOs
  • How We Educate
    • Outreach
    • Mule Deer and Black-tailed Deer Facts
    • Talking Mule Deer Podcast
    • Mule Deer Foundation Videos & Films
    • Chronic Wasting Disease
  • How You Can Help
    • Join/Renew Membership
    • Shop
    • Donate
    • Miles Moretti Memorial Fund
    • Member Success
    • Volunteer
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